“You do realize I’m just humoring you here. Like I’d ever try to do something like this on my own.”
“Well, continue to humor me for another minute, if you don’t mind,” he said and climbed down before walking over and turning the breaker back on and then returned. “You want to do the honor?”
She moseyed over to the switch and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her rear end as her hips moved tantalizingly. She flipped the switch and the sparse kitchen was flooded with a soft glow from the new light.
“I love it,” she said with wonderment as she stared around her and then back up to the light, and he felt that stupid skip in his chest as he watched her reaction. “I can’t believe the progress you made on the bathroom today, getting the Sheetrock up already, and you still had time to do this. Benny’s right. You really should get moving on getting that website up, starting your own business. You’re so talented.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. This is grunt work. Wait until you see the final creation.”
“Okay, Dr. Frankenstein. So why haven’t you? Gone out on your own yet?”
He gave her wary look. “Have you been talking to my brother?” He shook his head. “I just wanted to wait until the time was right. Things with my dad can be…complicated.”
“Yeah. Most everything related to family is complicated.” She slid back on her bar stool and grabbed her tea. “Try me.”
He went to the fridge and pulled out of the beers Kate had started stocking for him. “Want one?” he asked and held it up toward her.
She looked down at her now empty teacup. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” He pried the cap off and handed it to her, did the same with another one and took a pull, leaning against the fridge.
“When Cruz and I were growing up, my dad loved to bring us to the job sites, show us what was what. As we got older, he had us do some odd jobs until we were competent enough to work side by side with him and the crew. He never made it a secret that one day he wanted to change that sign from Sorensen Construction to Sorensen and Sons.”
“What happened?” Her blue-gray eyes pierced him with their intensity, and he wondered if this was what it felt like to be the opposing counsel.
He wouldn’t stand a chance.
He took another long pull, the cool liquid slipping down easily. “I like my work, but it was the beauty, the symmetry behind the construction—the drafting and design—that really intrigued me. I didn’t want to just follow blueprints. I wanted to create them based on my own design. Dad was okay with me going to the community college, getting my drafting certificate. That could be useful in the business. But when I finally had the courage to tell him I didn’t want to just work the construction end of things, that I wanted to go to school to be an architect, it kind of hurt him. Don’t get me wrong, when I got into the program, he was all sorts of proud. But I could see that he was also sad at realizing his dream of having a business with his sons wasn’t going to happen. Then he got sick, and you know the rest.”
She tapped her fingertips on the counter. “But he won’t be sick forever, and if things go well Friday—when they go well—you can start to get back to doing what you want to do. Your dad will understand.”
“It’s not that he won’t understand.” He paused and walked over to the kitchen island, standing across from her and meeting her gaze. “These past few years, having me back on board, he’s been so damn happy. I’m not sure how he’ll take hearing that I’m leaving again.”
She leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. A simple touch, one to offer comfort, but his arm was itching where she touched it. Liking it too much. “From what I saw of your parents, they both really love you guys. Your dad may be initially disappointed, but I’m sure he only wants your happiness. With time, I’m sure he’ll be happy for you.”
“Yeah. Well, all the same, I think I’ll wait until after he’s on the mend before I get the ball rolling. When I know he can handle it.”
She nodded and took a measured sip of her beer. “I met with Daisy,” she said, thankfully changing the topic of discussion.
He smiled. “I know. And she loved you. Mom said that she seems more rejuvenated. Ready to embrace the next stage of her life. And it’s all thanks to you.”
“Easy there. Like I told her, we don’t know how her husband’s going to react to her petition or what his angle will be in all this. It could get ugly and long, with a few setbacks along the way.”
“Yes, but it’s something. Anything is better than sitting in limbo. With your help, she’s finally taking control of her life and not letting someone else make the choices for her. So…thank you.”
She squirmed, avoiding his gaze and instead fidgeting with the label on her beer bottle.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She looked up at him in surprise, and he could see she was about to object. Then she clamped her mouth and heaved a sighed. “It’s just I hadn’t expected to like Daisy and the rest of your family like I do. It makes me feel awful, the
way we’re lying to them. They think we’re a couple and are opening their arms to me on that basis alone.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. They like you. Not just because you’re my girlfriend—” Damn. That had sounded pretty good. He stopped and regrouped. “Well, pretending to be—but because you’re genuinely caring and nice and funny. Believe me, I’ve had a few girlfriends I’ve brought home in the past, and they didn’t roll out the welcome mat like they have with you.” Actually, with few exceptions, they’d loathed them. Melinda most of all. In hindsight, he could see they’d had good reason.
Not looking entirely convinced, she slid off the stool and took her empty cup to the sink. “I just hope that this whole thing doesn’t cause more pain. But I am glad to be helping Daisy out, any way I can.”
“Of course you are.” He smiled and reached over and picked up the almost full beer she’d left on the counter and took a pull while she rinsed her cup.
She turned around, wiping her hands on a towel before dropping it to the counter. “Anyhow, Daisy asked me if I might be stopping by the hospital. To lend you support. I had to think fast since I hadn’t realized your dad’s surgery was this Friday, but I don’t think she noticed. Why didn’t you tell me about it?”